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The Legend of Mistletoe and the Christmas Kittens

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Mistletoe was born on Christmas day and when the other kittens saw him . . . they all ran away. Mistletoe had given up hope of ever having a home, but when he finds three little lost kittens, his unselfish acts of kindness and a surprise gift from Santa change all that.

30 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

77 people want to read

About the author

Joe Troiano

24 books14 followers

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Community Reviews

5 stars
91 (61%)
4 stars
27 (18%)
3 stars
22 (14%)
2 stars
6 (4%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Jennah.
251 reviews105 followers
March 26, 2023
My daughter and I buy a few Christmas books every year, and this was one of our choices for 2012. Mistletoe is a green cat with a candycane striped tail, he is teased and ostracized because he looks different from the other cats.

My daughter loves this book, and the message to not judge by appearance is important.

Its now one of our favorite Christmas books with a kind and sweet message to it, and a happy ending.

Added in 2023: although the original review was from 2012, recently read to some family friends and they adored this book
Profile Image for Rayjan Koehler.
637 reviews22 followers
December 8, 2019
Cute story, with some important messages...different doesn't mean less or unworthy of love. 💘


Mistletoe was born with unique colored fur, and his siblings were afraid of him. He ended up being an alley cat hiding from people, and one cold Christmas night he finds some lost stray kittens. He decides to fight through a blizzard, and climb down a chimney to get the kittens safely under a Christmas tree for some children.

Santa left a box for him, and after reading the card "To Mistletoe, This gift is for you, because you truly believe it is better to give than it is to receive. From, Santa" & climbing inside to look for the gift it is empty...The kids charge into the living room excited to open their gifts, and he finds they are not afraid and they do not want him to leave. Santa's real gift was a warm safe home, with a family that would love and care for him!

I think these messages are really important. The brightly colored pretty boxes we open on Christmas are nice, but family and kindness are the real gifts.


Definitely a book for any child's Christmas read list. 😊
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Gina.
Author 5 books31 followers
December 21, 2018
Starts sad and ends up being heartwarming. Themes of home and caring for others.
Profile Image for Hilary Wagner.
Author 5 books187 followers
July 8, 2010
This is one of the sweetest kid's books ever. I love this story so much and highly recommend it. I just read it to my daughter again tonight--one of our all time favorites.
Profile Image for James.
Author 12 books136 followers
December 30, 2020
One of the most touching and heart-warming books I've ever read.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
34 reviews3 followers
December 23, 2022
Bought this at a used bookstore to read with my daughter. The illustrations are so pretty and the story is very sweet.
Profile Image for Patricia (Patricia's Particularity).
208 reviews98 followers
Read
December 13, 2011
Mistletoe is singled out because of his Christmas-colored fur. With a green body, a candy cane stripped tail and red paws, Mistletoe doesn't fit in. Then he meets a set of kittens. Mistletoe is no longer concerned with himself but only cares for these kittens. To get out of the cold Mistletoe and the kittens sneak into a warm and inviting home. Unknown to them when the children of the home come downstairs to find them in the tree and presents, that they would be welcomed with open arms.

The Legend of Mistletoe is a very cute and warm book to read around the Christmas holiday. With a message of acceptance, selflessness and love, it is hard to not love this book. Mistletoe is a delight to see drawn with his multicolored fur. You can't help but have your heart warmed by The Legend of Mistletoe.
Profile Image for Tricia Scott.
179 reviews5 followers
Read
April 16, 2023
(copied from my book review blog: Patricia's Particularity)

Mistletoe is singled out because of his Christmas-colored fur. With a green body, a candy cane stripped tail and red paws, Mistletoe doesn’t fit in. Then he meets a set of kittens. Mistletoe is no longer concerned with himself but only cares for these kittens. To get out of the cold Mistletoe and the kittens sneak into a warm and inviting home. Unknown to them when the children of the home come downstairs to find them in the tree and presents, that they would be welcomed with open arms.

The Legend of Mistletoe is a very cute and warm book to read around the Christmas holiday. With a message of acceptance, selflessness and love, it is hard to not love this book. Mistletoe is a delight to see drawn with his multicolored fur. You can’t help but have your heart warmed by The Legend of Mistletoe.
Profile Image for Rachel M.
109 reviews4 followers
December 16, 2024
Cute Christmas story. I got a little teary eyed reading it. A good book about compassion and caring for others.
Profile Image for Antonio de la Mano.
466 reviews62 followers
November 27, 2021
Lo siento, no puedo ser imparcial con un cuento navideño en el que aparecen tres gatitos y otro lo salva porque eso fue lo que yo hice el año pasado. Por que ningún gatito tenga que pasar frío y hambre en la calle en estas fechas y nunca. Me ha llegado al fondo del corazón.
Profile Image for James Greening.
190 reviews
November 14, 2024
What a beautiful picture book! The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, the story is heart-warming and encouraging, and the overall feel of the book is truly Christmas. Well-done and highly recommend to parents with young children.
2 reviews
January 7, 2020
Good for adults

I really enjoyed the book. I gave it five stars. It is good it had cats in it. Read it.
17 reviews
December 9, 2020
Just precious

It’s a lovely story of inclusion. A good message for our kids at Christmas. And their toe stuffed kitten is adorable.
Profile Image for Laura.
337 reviews56 followers
July 26, 2020
One of the best children’s books I’ve ever read. It made me cry. Such a wonderful story with a good lesson for children and adults. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for d4.
359 reviews205 followers
November 8, 2009
I picked this up because I noticed a green plushie peppermint-tailed kitten for sale near it. Aww! The book itself is a tad average, but throw in the stuffed animal and it would make a cute gift for the holidays.
Profile Image for Valleri.
1,106 reviews
December 20, 2015
I love this story! Mixing cats, Christmas, adorable illustrations, and happy endings: this book has a very warm, cheerful feel throughout. My Children love to look at the beautiful, colorful pictures and the story held their interest to the very end.
Profile Image for Stacy Atherton Johnson.
357 reviews
July 25, 2023
We've read this book at Christmastime for many years now. It's a really sweet story with simple rhymes, and Mistletoe is so cute with her green and red fur.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews

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